diff --git a/packages/message-relayer/.env.example b/packages/message-relayer/.env.example
index 7d0bf81d89..4da183d016 100644
--- a/packages/message-relayer/.env.example
+++ b/packages/message-relayer/.env.example
@@ -14,3 +14,6 @@ FILTER_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8080/boba-addr.json
 MAX_WAIT_TIME_S=5
 MAX_WAIT_TX_TIME_S=5
 FAST_RELAYER=true
+
+#optional
+RELAYER_FILTER_WHITELIST=ADDRESS_1,ADDRESS_2,ADDRESS_3
diff --git a/packages/message-relayer/package.json b/packages/message-relayer/package.json
index 30aa2dbf16..849133eec9 100644
--- a/packages/message-relayer/package.json
+++ b/packages/message-relayer/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "start": "ts-node ./src/exec/run.ts",
     "build": "tsc -p ./tsconfig.json",
+    "test": "hardhat test --show-stack-traces",
     "clean": "rimraf  dist/ ./tsconfig.tsbuildinfo",
     "lint": "yarn lint:fix && yarn lint:check",
     "pre-commit": "lint-staged",
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@
     "hardhat": "^2.12.5",
     "lint-staged": "11.0.0",
     "prettier": "^2.3.1",
-    "typescript": "^4.3.5"
+    "typescript": "^4.3.5",
+    "ip": "^1.1.5",
+    "chai": "^4.3.4"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/message-relayer/src/exec/run.ts b/packages/message-relayer/src/exec/run.ts
index d068d1d854..3f1ad84375 100644
--- a/packages/message-relayer/src/exec/run.ts
+++ b/packages/message-relayer/src/exec/run.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ const main = async () => {
     env.ENABLE_RELAYER_FILTER === 'true'
   )
 
+  // add the whitelist of addresses to the filter
+  const RELAYER_FILTER_WHITELIST = config.str(
+    'relayer-filter-whitelist',
+    env.RELAYER_FILTER_WHITELIST || ''
+  )
+
   if (!L1_NODE_WEB3_URL) {
     throw new Error('Must pass L1_NODE_WEB3_URL')
   }
@@ -170,6 +176,7 @@ const main = async () => {
     resubmissionTimeout: RESUBMISSION_TIMEOUT * 1000,
     isFastRelayer: FAST_RELAYER,
     enableRelayerFilter: ENABLE_RELAYER_FILTER,
+    relayerFilterWhitelist: RELAYER_FILTER_WHITELIST,
   })
 
   await service.start()
diff --git a/packages/message-relayer/src/service.ts b/packages/message-relayer/src/service.ts
index 0188620365..cde2976909 100644
--- a/packages/message-relayer/src/service.ts
+++ b/packages/message-relayer/src/service.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ interface MessageRelayerOptions {
   isFastRelayer: boolean
 
   enableRelayerFilter: boolean
+
+  // extra relayer filter
+  relayerFilterWhitelist: string
 }
 
 export class MessageRelayerService extends BaseService<MessageRelayerOptions> {
@@ -537,6 +540,7 @@ export class MessageRelayerService extends BaseService<MessageRelayerOptions> {
             filter.Proxy__L1StandardBridge,
             filter.Proxy__L1NFTBridge,
             filter.Proxy__L1ERC1155Bridge,
+            ...this.options.relayerFilterWhitelist.split(','),
           ]
 
           this.state.lastFilterPollingTimestamp = new Date().getTime()
diff --git a/packages/message-relayer/test/filter.spec.ts b/packages/message-relayer/test/filter.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33ba90f030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/message-relayer/test/filter.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import { expect } from './setup'
+import { ethers } from 'hardhat'
+import { MessageRelayerService } from '../src'
+
+describe('message relayer filter tests', () => {
+  const Proxy__L1StandardBridge = ethers.Wallet.createRandom().address
+  const Proxy__L1LiquidityPool = ethers.Wallet.createRandom().address
+  const Proxy__L1NFTBridge = ethers.Wallet.createRandom().address
+  const Proxy__L1ERC1155Bridge = ethers.Wallet.createRandom().address
+  const L1Message = ethers.Wallet.createRandom().address
+
+  let messageRelayerService: any
+
+  const apiPort = 3000
+  let apiEndpoint: string
+
+  before(async () => {
+    /* eslint-disable */
+    const http = require('http')
+    const ip = require("ip")
+    // start local server
+    const server = module.exports = http.createServer(async function (req, res) {
+      req.on('data', () => {})
+      req.on('end', async () => {
+        if (req.url === "/boba-addr.json") {
+          console.log(`[API] ${req.method} ${req.url} 200`)
+          res.end(JSON.stringify({
+            Proxy__L1StandardBridge,
+            Proxy__L1LiquidityPool,
+            Proxy__L1NFTBridge,
+            Proxy__L1ERC1155Bridge,
+            L1Message,
+          }))
+          server.emit('success')
+        }
+      })
+    }).listen(apiPort)
+    apiEndpoint = `http://${ip.address()}:${apiPort}`
+    /* eslint-enable */
+  })
+
+  it('should filter addresses for message relayer', async () => {
+    const randomWallet_1 = ethers.Wallet.createRandom()
+    const randomWallet_2 = ethers.Wallet.createRandom()
+    const randomWallet_3 = ethers.Wallet.createRandom()
+    const relayerFilterWhitelist = `${randomWallet_1.address},${randomWallet_2.address},${randomWallet_3.address}`
+    messageRelayerService = new MessageRelayerService({
+      l2RpcProvider: ethers.provider,
+      l1Wallet: ethers.Wallet.createRandom().connect(ethers.provider),
+      minBatchSize: 1,
+      maxWaitTimeS: 100,
+      maxWaitTxTimeS: 1,
+      isFastRelayer: false,
+      enableRelayerFilter: true,
+      relayerFilterWhitelist,
+      filterEndpoint: `${apiEndpoint}/boba-addr.json`,
+    })
+    await messageRelayerService._init()
+    await messageRelayerService._getFilter()
+    expect(messageRelayerService.state.fastRelayerFilter).to.be.deep.equal([
+      Proxy__L1LiquidityPool,
+      L1Message,
+    ])
+    expect(messageRelayerService.state.relayerFilter).to.be.deep.equal([
+      Proxy__L1StandardBridge,
+      Proxy__L1NFTBridge,
+      Proxy__L1ERC1155Bridge,
+      ...relayerFilterWhitelist.split(','),
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('should filter addresses for message relayer fast', async () => {
+    const randomWallet_1 = ethers.Wallet.createRandom()
+    const randomWallet_2 = ethers.Wallet.createRandom()
+    const randomWallet_3 = ethers.Wallet.createRandom()
+    const relayerFilterWhitelist = `${randomWallet_1.address},${randomWallet_2.address},${randomWallet_3.address}`
+    messageRelayerService = new MessageRelayerService({
+      l2RpcProvider: ethers.provider,
+      l1Wallet: ethers.Wallet.createRandom().connect(ethers.provider),
+      minBatchSize: 1,
+      maxWaitTimeS: 100,
+      maxWaitTxTimeS: 1,
+      isFastRelayer: true,
+      enableRelayerFilter: true,
+      relayerFilterWhitelist,
+      filterEndpoint: `${apiEndpoint}/boba-addr.json`,
+    })
+    await messageRelayerService._init()
+    await messageRelayerService._getFilter()
+    expect(messageRelayerService.state.fastRelayerFilter).to.be.deep.equal([
+      Proxy__L1LiquidityPool,
+      L1Message,
+    ])
+    expect(messageRelayerService.state.relayerFilter).to.be.deep.equal([
+      Proxy__L1StandardBridge,
+      Proxy__L1NFTBridge,
+      Proxy__L1ERC1155Bridge,
+      ...relayerFilterWhitelist.split(','),
+    ])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/message-relayer/test/setup.ts b/packages/message-relayer/test/setup.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e8f4a91f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/message-relayer/test/setup.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+/* External Imports */
+import chai = require('chai')
+import { solidity } from 'ethereum-waffle'
+
+chai.use(solidity)
+const expect = chai.expect
+
+export { expect }